2 A Match Made in Mystery
Page 15
“Done.” Keith eyed him speculatively. “What do you need the time for?”
“I have to see where I stand with a girl,” Brady confessed.
Keith grinned. “That matchmaker must really know her stuff.”
“She might,” Brady agreed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
On the way home from the bank, Amy called Diego and left a message explaining what she’d found and that she needed a VCR. By the time she got back to her apartment, he was standing on the landing, chatting with Roscoe and eating brownies.
“You gotta try these,” Diego said through a mouthful of food. “They’re amazing.”
Roscoe thrust a plateful of chocolate goodness under her nose. “Take one.”
“Did you get my message?” she asked Diego, lifting a chocolate square to her mouth.
“Right there.” Diego tilted his head toward the floor where a VCR lay.
“Oh. My. God.” Amy closed her eyes to fully appreciate the flavors on her tongue. “Heaven on a plate.”
“Best damn brownie you ever had, right?” Diego filched another as he spoke.
Opening her eyes, Amy stared at Roscoe, who ducked his head as though embarrassed by the praise. “Where’d you learn to bake like this?”
“Self-taught,” he admitted sheepishly.
A timer dinged in his apartment.
“Finish them,” Roscoe said, pushing the plate into Diego’s hands. “I’ve got to go take that out of the oven.”
He disappeared into his apartment, closing the door behind him.
“Dude has serious skills,” Diego murmured appreciatively.
“I had his cinnamon buns yesterday and they were almost as good,” Amy confided.
“C’mon, heiress, let’s see what’s on this mysterious tape of yours.” With his free hand, Diego picked up the VCR, taking care not to drop the brownies.
“Did you bring a TV?”
“I brought an adaptor.”
“But I don’t have a TV,” she reminded them, her voice rising along with her blood pressure.
Diego stared at her dumbly for a moment. “You didn’t tell me to bring a TV.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “I figured you’d remember I don’t own one.”
“Well I didn’t,” Diego snapped.
“Great. So we’ve got a tape and a player, but nothing to watch it on.”
“I’ve got a TV,” Roscoe called through his door.
“It’s not polite to eavesdrop,” Amy admonished.
Roscoe opened his door. “I wasn’t eavesdropping. You’re arguing outside my door.”
They couldn’t argue with that.
“Come in.” Roscoe waved them inside his apartment.
Amy checked out what was cooling on top of the stove while Diego hooked up wires to the back of the television in the living room.
“Eclairs?’ she guessed, eyeing the golden puffs of pastry.
“Uh-huh,” Roscoe agreed, rummaging inside his refrigerator.
“So you’re some kind of pastry chef?”
“Just a baker.”
“You’re a man of hidden talents, Roscoe.”
“Thank you.” His embarrassed grin made him look like a pleased little boy.
She wondered how she ever could have been afraid of the sweet giant.
“Ready,” Diego called from the other room.
“I’ll go for a walk so you can watch in private,” Roscoe offered.
Amy grabbed his hand before he could move away. “Stay. I could use all the friends I can get.”
“Then why isn’t Brady here?” he asked gently.
“I wish he was,” she admitted sadly, tugging him to follow her into his living room.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Three hours later, Brady knocked on Amy’s door, holding a bouquet of roses.
The flowers had been his mother’s idea.
He’d gone to tell her how his job situation had changed and how he was going to pursue a future with Amy and that if she ever interfered again, it would be the last time she’d see him.
He’d been shocked when Mom had immediately begged for forgiveness, explaining that she was trying to protect him, but she was glad that he’d found someone he felt this strongly about.
Then she’d told him to make sure he brought flowers.
When Amy didn’t answer, he rapped his knuckles against the wood even harder.
“She’s not home,” Roscoe said, stepping out of his apartment. “They left.”
“They?”
“Her and Diego. She gave me the key to her place and asked me to take care of her cat. She wasn’t sure when she’s coming back.”
Feeling like a sucker punch had knocked the wind out of him, Brady sagged against the door.
Roscoe watched him carefully.
“Do you know where she was going?” Brady asked weakly.
The other man nodded.
“Where? Did it have something to do with that tape?”
Roscoe held up a finger, indicating Brady should wait a minute, before disappearing back into his apartment.
Brady leaned against the door. Panic clawed at his throat. What if he never saw her again? What if she didn’t give him the chance to explain all the reason why they were right together? What if his mother was right and Amy’s criminal father corrupted her?
Re-emerging from his apartment, Roscoe crossed to Amy’s door and unlocked it. “The guy on the tape said he was her dad.” Scooping up Pippin, the big guy entered the barren apartment.
“You saw it?” Brady asked following him into the home of the woman he loved.
“She wanted her friends there.” Roscoe met Brady’s gaze. “She wanted you there.”
A surge of hope lifted Brady’s dwindling spirits. “She told you that?”
“Yup.”
“What else was said on the tape?”
“He apologized for taking so long to get in touch, but he’d worried about the safety of her and her mom because he’d ripped off some unsavory blokes but—”
“Blokes?” Brady interrupted incredulously.
Roscoe nodded. “Blokes.”
Brady waved a hand, indicating the story should be continued.
“But now he wanted to make amends and wanted Maggie to come see him.”
“And…?” Brady prompted impatiently when Roscoe fell silent.
“Not much. Just that she was a ‘bonnie lass, who always knew where to go.’ That and the fact that he’d hoped her mom had taken good care of her and Maggie shouldn’t be mad at her, because he’d made her swear to never tell her he was alive.”
Brady thought about his own mother, and the secrets she’d kept, and was suddenly immensely grateful she was still around to explain her choices.
“So where was she going?”
“First to the hospital to quit her job and then to the airport.”
“To go where?”
Roscoe shrugged.
Brady scanned the apartment looking for some indication of where she might be flying. Nothing in the kitchen or living room offered a clue. He stepped into the bedroom area cautiously, feeling like he was invading her most private space.
He almost missed it, but then he heard Armani’s voice in his head: POSTCARD.
Spotting the postcard taped to the dresser mirror, he knew without a doubt where Amy was headed. “Ireland,” he murmured.
Whirling around, he almost barreled into Roscoe.
“Find her,” the big man urged. “The woman’s crazy about you.”
“I will,” Brady yelled, running out of the apartment, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch her at the airport.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Overwhelmed with emotion, Amy hugged him so tightly that she could feel his heartbeat. A tear trickled from the corner of her eye. “Thanks for everything.”
“I drove you to the hospital, the bank, and the airport,” Diego whispered in her ear.
Stepping out of his embrace, she pla
yfully punched his shoulder. “You know I wasn’t talking about today, stupid.”
He grinned. “There’s my girl, hurling insults at me.” Growing serious he added, “You should call him.”
She shook her head. After she’d emptied her Ireland fund at the bank, they’d discussed her calling Brady to tell him what was going on. She’d refused then. She refused now. “He’s a lawyer and I’m on my way to find a criminal.”
“Lawyers deal with criminals all the time,” Diego reminded her. “It’s almost a job requirement.”
“I’m not going to ruin his life.”
“Maybe you’re ruining it by walking out on him.”
“How can I ruin his life when I’ve known him three days? You make it sound like we had some deep, meaningful relationship.”
“Didn’t you?” Diego challenged softly.
“We didn’t even have sex,” she informed him.
“And you regret it,” he deduced with a sly grin.
She punched his shoulder again. “I thought you said you have to leave.”
“Your flight doesn’t leave for another five hours. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll keep myself occupied.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Go before I turn into a blubbering mess.”
“Call me?”
“Of course.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Concern shimmered in his dark gaze. “I know you’re hoping to find what you’re looking for there.”
“Me too.”
“I love you. You know that, right?” He choked out awkwardly.
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked away without another word.
Blinking away tears, she watched her best friend walk away. Wiping them from her cheeks, she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“Which flight are you on?” a familiar voice asked from behind her.
Her heartbeat stuttered. A choking sound bubbled up from her throat.
She turned slowly to face him.
Brady smiled down at her. “Sorry. I didn’t catch that. Which flight?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.” His smile disappeared. “No that’s a lie.”
Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her against the length of his body, branding her with his heat, kissing her senseless, despite the fact they were in the middle of a public place.
When they came up for air, she gasped, “You can’t stop me from going.”
Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he stared into her eyes. “I’m not trying to.”
“Then what are you doing?’ she asked breathlessly.
“I’m trying to get you to tell me which flight you’re on.”
Shaking free of his grasp, she took an unsteady backward. “Why?’
“So I can buy a ticket too.”
“You can’t!” Despite her words, a spark of hope and happiness warmed her chest.
“I’m going to,” he assured her. “Thanks to the friendly psychic matchmaker, I’ve got my passport with me.”
“But your job….”
“Don’t have one.”
“You quit your job for me?” She wasn’t sure if she was pleased or horrified.
“Nope. Eric fired me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Best thing that could have happened to me.” He leaned close to whisper, “Frees me up to go on an international adventure with the woman I love.”
Amy blinked at his use of the word “love.”
Before she could respond, he silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. “Yes, Amy Winn. I am deeply, irrevocably, wildly in love with you. Everyone says so.”
Pushing his hand away she asked, “Everyone?”
He nodded.
“Who?’
“My mom.”
She frowned. “She hates me.”
“No,” Brady assured her. “We had a long talk. Her concern for my safety was misguided and she admits she behaved abysmally, but she actually likes you.”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
“You don’t understand. I had the best conversation with my mom I’ve ever had. She heard me. She listened to me. You’ve brought us closer. She’s thrilled I’m in love with you. As are Lara. Gerald. Jackson. Alyssa. Roscoe. And oh yeah, Diego.”
Despite the fact she wanted to believe him, she eyed him skeptically. “Diego?’
Brady grinned at her, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “How else would I have found you in time?”
Realizing that Diego had seemed to be dragging his feet about leaving her, Amy found she inclined to believe Brady. “You think you love me?’
“I know I do. The question is do you love me?”
Her response was to launch herself into his arms and kiss him passionately.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he asked on a laugh, “I take it that means yes?”
“Yes,” she whispered. Then, taking a breath, she bellowed so that the whole world could hear, “I love you, Brady!”
“Knew it,” a familiar voice drawled from beside them.
Without thinking, Amy punched Diego on the shoulder.
Laughing, Diego said, “You should go buy his ticket. Call me when you get back.”
Still chuckling, he strolled away, leaving the two lovebirds to fly away on their adventure.
Find out what happens to Alyssa when she’s forced to work with Armani in The Matchmaker vs. the Catnapped!: Matchmaker Mystery Book 3
A note from JB:
Hi!
I hope you enjoyed A Match Made in Mystery.
If you did, I’d be most appreciative if you would post a REVIEW and/or RECOMMEND it to your fellow readers.
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ABOUT JB LYNN
A Jersey Girl transplanted to the Sunshine State, JB (you can call her Jen) writes laugh-out-loud suspense and mysteries with a dash of romance, but she’s been known to dabble in the occasional goosebump-raising thriller.
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LINKS TO OTHER BOOKS BY JB LYNN
The Matchmaker Mysteries
The Mutt and the Matchmaker
The Neurotic Hitwoman Series
Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
The Hitwoman Gets Lucky
The Hitwoman and the Family Jewels
The Hitwoman and the Neurotic Witness
The Hitwoman Hunts a Ghost
The Hitwoman and the 7 Cops
Dark Romantic Suspense
The First Victim
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Baum
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A note from JB:
ABOUT JB LYNN
LINKS TO OTHER BOOKS BY JB LYNN